This invention relates to the placement of silicone implants within a patient's body. Silicone implants have been in worldwide use for a number of years. While marketing of the implants was halted within the United States for over 15 years, the use of silicone implants has resumed within the United States. One problem with silicone implants is that the implants are provided in a filled condition and must be inserted into a surgical pocket. As a result, traditional surgical approaches require the use of larger incisions in comparison to saline implants which can be inserted through small incisions which are later filled in situ with saline.
While many patients prefer the more natural qualities of silicone, patients remain apprehensive because of the larger incisions and possibility for visible scars which result from silicone implants.
An additional concern with the use of silicone implants is that the longevity and integrity of the implants can be compromised by the conventional insertion process. A typical insertion process involves hand manipulation by the surgeon of the implant in order to insert it into the surgical pocket. Studies have shown that implant failures are often associated with an area of minor damage to the outer surface of the implant. The damaged areas are believed to correlate to excessive pressure applied by hand manipulation of the implant and/or damage associated with a “nick” of the implant surface by a “touching” injury such as a fingernail or insertion that damages the implant.
An additional consideration with respect to silicone implants involves the amount of time required to insert the implants. A traditional hand manipulation of an implant into a surgical pocket can take between 10 to 20 minutes per implant for even a highly skilled surgical practitioner. Typically, hand manipulation of an implant requires the use of a larger incision and would be done with a saline implant. The amount of time required has a direct bearing on the expense of the procedure, the surgical expense reflecting the surgeon's time, the support staff within the operating room, and the amount of time allocated for the surgical procedure. Accordingly, any improvements to reduce the time required for implantation of the silicone implant will have significant cost savings with respect to the surgical procedure.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art.